Working in collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) information is being abstracted from death certificates for all non-boat related drowning deaths in children and adolescents less than 20 years of age. The free text portion of the death certificate often includes important information that is not included in national mortality files. Of particular importance is the specific site of the occurrence (e.g. swimming pool, lake, irrigation ditch, etc.), as interventions to prevent drowning deaths are site specific. Results from this study will provide the first in-depth look at the circumstances surrounding drowning deaths at a national level. Preliminary results were presented at the May 1999 meeting of the Society for Pediatric Research. - drowning, childhood, epidemiology